20something entrepreneur starts bridesmaid-for-hire business

Photo credit: theweddinglibrary.com

Ever heard the expression “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride?” Well, 26-year-old Jen Glantz has been a bridesmaid so many times that now she’s doing it as a profession!

After being a bridesmaid four times in the past year alone (and twice in one week), Glantz posted an ad on Craigslist offering her services as a professional bridesmaid. Her ad went viral: she got over 100 responses within 48 hours, and her new business got coverage on media outlets including the Huffington Post, USA Today, Good Morning America, and the Today Show.

But why would so many women want to pay for a role that your closest friends traditionally do for free? Glantz says that being a bridesmaid is a burden both financially and energy-wise, and many brides want to spare their friends that stress. There are also brides whose friends live internationally, so hiring a professional gives them a bridesmaid who’ll always be available.

Glantz describes her role as a professional bridesmaid in four ways: personal assistant, social director, on-call therapist, and peacekeeper. Her services include planning bachelorette parties, responding to pre-wedding e-mail chains, making sure that the dance floor is fully occupied, and even lifting up the bride’s wedding dress so she could go to the bathroom.

Through her business, Glantz shows how young adults could think outside the box by taking a role that typically isn’t paid (like a bridesmaid) and making a profession out of it.

Glantz has also been a contributor to this blog: she wrote a 20something profile and a post on her e-book, All My Friends Are Engaged. If you want to find out more about her services as a bridesmaid-for-hire, check out her website, bridesmaidforhire.com

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